


Bluebird

by TheBGassassin



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Blood, Dragons, F/F, F/M, Family Secrets, Friendship, Incest, Kidnapping, Love, Manipulation, Marriage of Convenience, Murder, Original House, Patricide, Smut, Some of the chapters are just porn with plot, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-03-02 20:35:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18818524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBGassassin/pseuds/TheBGassassin
Summary: Mavis, a girl born into the proud House Denoir is thrown out of her family estate and stripped of titles and claims, for the one reason being that she hated their ways and didn't want to be like them. But when her ship docks in Pentos, the city and her new savior - Illyrio Mopatis, have many shocking secrets in store for her. Meanwhile, the youngest of Robert's siblings - Lyna has to find a way to regain her family lands - Storm's end, after all her brothers have died and Cersei has put a bounty on her head. Even with a feared warrior like Sandor Clegane at her side, will she be able to succeed in her quest without the help of someone stronger?





	1. Mavis

Thorn's hill was a cold place, neighboring with Dreadfort to the north, White Harbor to the south, Winterfell to the west and the vast sea to the east. Perked up on a rocky hill, surrounded by trees and bushes with thorns, thick as branches, the winters were a horror to the people, as the snow could sometimes pile up so high, it trapped inhabitants into their own homes. Lord Johannes Denoir closed off all access to his lands during that time of the year and rarely left his castle, himself, because only a madman would venture into such dangerous weather, outsider or not. The Denoir were outsiders. They never meddled in the other houses business and nobody meddled in theirs either. The land was gifted to the first lord Aegis Denoir by the Starks when the Seven kingdoms were still divided and until the conquest of the Targaryens, house Denoir managed a sort of autonomy from everyone else. After the conquest, the lords were forced to seek allies in the face of House Stark, because otherwise, the house would be wiped out and forgotten. Now, Denoir are just slightly more than bannermen of the Starks, much to the dismay of Johannes who wanted to regain the autonomy his ancestors possessed.

Mavis thought him to be a fool. If he took a wrong step, the Starks would slaughter them all in a matter of hours. Because their ancestors were mightier and had more lands, which were given up after their house surrendered to the Starks. She never understood why she was neglected by her parents. She lacked the signature look and didn't act like her kin. They were raven haired, while her long, wavy locks were gold, like her mother's, but Mavis' were almost ashen, cascading like a waterfall down to her waist. Her eyes were the same green as her father's and sparkled, resembling a forest of pine trees in spring, kissed by the sunlight. She was awfully pale, due to the preference to stay indoors, rather than go outside. She hated the cold and would much rather bury herself behind several heavy books in the library, beside a warm fire, unlike her younger sister Isabella, who was always scurrying around the courtyard, wondering what schemes to concoct next to anger her parents. Mavis, unlike Isabella, was tall, but one would think she was too skinny. Isabella was shorter by a head than her sister, with shining black hair, she mostly kept in a bun, and big, green doe-like eyes, which forever bore curiosity in them and when she wasn't curious, a playful mischief replaced the innocent look and worried her parents what could be going through her mind. The girl was sixteen of age and nine years younger than Mavis.

A strange tradition was passed down the generations in the Denoir family, which made it ever so different from the other houses. When the girls reached a proper age, they would attend sword-fighting lessons. Something Mavis has made clear she isn't good at and caused the ever so growing disappointment of her parents. Johannes has made it clear many times that he preferred his second-born daughter and proof was the bluebird he gave Isabella. The bluebird - their family sigil. Of course, Mavis received nothing. Another tradition was the lord of the castle gifting his heir a bluebird. But Mavis was supposed to be heir...she was the older sibling... And that was the reason her anger overwhelmed her and she finally decided to confront her parents. She never understood...She never wronged them with anything, yet they neglected her. All her life she spent with her books, so she doesn't trigger further disappointment in them and not get in their way. 

"If you do not respect our traditions, you don't respect your House." Johannes stated coldly when Mavis confronted him "That is what makes us who we are and if you don't act like us, then who are you?" A cold wave hit Mavis when he said that. The noblemen around him snickered and started whispering to one-another. Even the servants were smirking and the hatred in Mavis flooded her very soul with new strength. The main hall felt colder than before... 

"I know that isn't the reason you hate me and deny my claims to this castle." Mavis looked her father dead in the eye. For a moment, she could swear she saw fear in them. Truth was, she didn't know. That was why she came here to seek the truth. 

"Leave and don't make such bold accusations again." Her father hissed threateningly, his facial features twisted into anger and embarrassment. He had gripped the sides of the chair he was sitting on so hard, his knuckles had turned white.

"Alright. If you won't tell me the truth..." Mavis answered "I will leave, if that is your final word. You have always been a coward." And with those words, she spun around on her heels and confidently made her way out of the main hall. Nobody dared say a word or stop her. Shocked gasps and awes were heard all around her and everyone turned to look at the flabbergasted Johannes, who was trying his hardest not to let his rage loose and embarrass himself in front of his subjects.

Mavis packed a small bag, taking only that which could be necessary to her - spare clothes, a pouch of coins, a dagger and her favorite book. After that, she left the castle, not looking back even for a moment, and made her way towards the docks. She stopped the first captain she saw and asked him where the ship was sailing to. When he saw her, the man stared, wide-eyed, long enough to make Mavis feel uncomfortable. Did he see a ghost?

"Pentos, milady." he answered after a long moment.

"Alright. Will this much coin be enough for you to take me there?" she offered him a handful of coins. The ship captain stared at it for awhile, debating whether to accept the offer or not.

"All aboard." he finally told her, grinning and showing broken, yellow teeth.

"Wait!" Mavis heard a familiar voice behind her.She turned around and saw Isabella who was running after her and when she reached her, tackled her into a hug "Will you be back?" she asked.

"You know there isn't a place for me here." Mavis answered, shaking her head sadly and letting go of her sister. "Be safe." And with a final glance, Mavis boarded the ship, anxiety taking over her, as she thought about the unknown that awaited her in Pentos.


	2. Chapter 2

Pentos was the beginning of Mavis' new life, even though she hated it. The sun made her skin burn on the first day and she was in pain for days. The boat made her feel seasick and she couldn't wait until the captain docked. At least she wasn't left out on the street like a beggar, as she managed to find a job for the time being. 

It was in the first inn she found. Her plans were only to spend a few nights there, but soon enough her gold would begin to fade. She stepped up to the innkeep, an old, balding, scrawny man with yellow teeth, of which several were missing, and a cunning expression on his face. 

"Are you looking for workers, innkeep?" Mavis asked. 

The man looked at her briefly before continuing his job to scrub the wooden mug with his dirty apron. Suddenly, he looked at her again, as if he recognized her, eyes wide and mouth agape and threw away all the work in his hands. 

"Oh, yes, as a matter of fact, I do." He answered hurriedly "But what is a noblewoman looking around here and work of all things? You're from Westeros, no?" 

Mavis quickly got annoyed by his nosiness. Her right eye twitched. She was wondering the same. She didn't even change clothes. It was a miracle that nobody mugged her so far, since it was obvious she was a noble. 

"I am. When can I start?" She averted his questions, but he pestered on. 

"What is your name?" The man was growing anxious for some reason. 

"Mavis. Mavis Denoir." She answered

The man almost jumped in his place "You can start right now! I... I have some business to take care of so I will leave the inn to you. Just serve the mead, take the gold and watch for any bar fights." He hurriedly walked around the bar and towards the door, almost tripping over several times. 

"Wait!" Mavis called out "What about the other matters we have to discuss?"

"Later, girl!" His voice was muffled by the sound of chatter and yelling from the clients. Mostly drunks. 

Mavis was left to fend for the inn alone. She changed clothes in a secluded back room into some more fitting clothes and tied her hair back with a kerchief. It wasn't hard, as all she had to do was serve mead and beside the occasional attempt at flirting from someone, it was a calm environment. Closing time neared and all the clients either went to their rooms or left the building. 

She cleaned the jugs and was currently busy with sweeping the floor when the innkeeper barged through the door, followed by two men. One was older, probably in his late fourties or early fifties. He was dressed richly and behaved as such. The other man, the younger, around his twenties, was tall and slim, with platinum blonde hair to his shoulders and the most beautiful violet eyes Mavis has ever seen. 

"I'm sorry, its closing time." Mavis stated. 

The blonde looked at her haughtily and scoffed, speaking in a rude voice. 

"And who are you to tell me, servant? Don't you know who I am?" The older man next to him tried to hush him, but he didn't pay him no mind. 

"No, master, if I knew, I wouldn't be treating you like a common customer." Mavis answered calmly. 

"I am Viserys Targaryen, the rightful king of Westeros, girl!" He yelled, stepping closer to her. Oh, she heard of him. The Beggar king who fled to Essos with his sister after Robert's rebellion. Just her luck..  

"The mere fact that you had to ask and tell me who you are obviously means you aren't anyone important." Mavis shrugged and returned to her duties. 

All the men were shocked. Viserys was shaking with anger. Mavis was sure he was going to go into a fit or even hit her if his companion didn't stop him. 

"Your grace, don't listen to her, she is just a servant. You can't expect them to be smart enough to know how to behave in front of royalty." He spoke 

"Excuse you?!" Mavis burst out angrily "I am Mavis of house Denoir! I have lived in Westeros all my life and have known only noble life!"

The man shut up, staring at her with wide eyes and jaw dropped. But Viserys kept talking. 

"You aren't anyone important if you had to tell us who you are." He retorted, mocking her with her own words. 

She stepped up to him, staring him down furiously and reached to slap the annoying grin off his face when the innkeeper cleared his throat. 

"Please, let's... Uh... Sit down." He suggested. 

Things didn't change between them even when they were seated with a jug of mead in front of them. The tension between Mavis and Viserys was clear. He mouthed something to her, which she didn't quite understand but still kicked him under the table, resulting in him returning the favor and her doing the same. 

"Ahem." The older man cleared his throat. "We didn't come here to start wars, but to make peace." 

"Oh, yes. Why did you bring me here, Illyrio?" Viserys asked sarcastically "To meet this... this 'noble-turned-servant'?" He laughed. 

Mavis' eye twitched again and she suddenly flung her jug at him, but didn't hit him, instead covering him in the liquid whole. He gasped, staring at himself nonbelievingly. 

"That's... The exact reason." Illyrio spoke cautiously, afraid the king would unleash his wrath on him instead "This is Mavis of house Denoir and... I would like to officially invite her to live in my manor, all expenses paid."

Mavis and Viserys both jumped from their seats, yelling out "What?!" 

"And you want absolutely nothing in return?" Mavis asked, nonbelievingly. 

"All I want is the wellbeing of a noblewoman who apparently went through a great deal of misfortune to come to this level. Viserys and his sister Daenerys were the same as you. And when you find yourself in a better position, then we will see about you repaying me." There was a mysterious smile on Illyrio's lips. "Wouldn't you like to live in luxury and not work your legs off, my lady? You don't deserve this." 

Did she even have a choice? But living with this brat of a man, across from her wasn't very much to her liking. 

"I guarantee his grace would love your company and Daenerys would be even more pleased to have a friend like you." Illyrio continued bargaining. 

"No I don't! And I never..." Viserys was cut off by something and a warning look from his companion. 

Mavis smirked slightly "Alright then. If it will please his grace, I would love to come with you." 

"Excellent." Illyrio smiled wide "Then allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Illyrio Mopatis. A Magistrate. And this is Viserys Targaryen, rightful heir to the Iron throne, as you might already know."

"Pleasure." Mavis answered to his smile with one of her own. "Mavis of house Denoir."

"Thank you for the hospitality, innkeep, but we must be off." Illyrio stood up. "We have much to talk about with Lady Denoir."


	3. Chapter 3

Living with Illyrio was great for the most part, when Mavis and Viserys weren't busy arguing. Overall they tried to stay out of each other's way but of course, Viserys had to be a pest and annoy her at least once a day. His sister was the complete opposite. Almost boring. Daenerys never talked unless Mavis spoke to her and even then she was staring off somewhere in the distance. It was like talking to a statue and it quickly got on Mavis' nerves but at least she was a good listener. 

"I have a sister about your age, you know." Mavis spoke one day when they were together in the garden, having tea. She had to get her mind off Viserys' constant tries to annoy her. 

"Really?" Daenerys smiled slightly.

"Her name is Isabella. The only one of my family I got along with." It wasn't a secret to anyone here why she had to move to Pentos. She told Illyrio everything he wanted to know and actually found a compassion in him. 

"Daenerys!" A familiar male voice that made Mavis roll her eyes called out from behind her. "Come here, I need you for something."

"She will go when we are done here." Mavis answered boldly "If she so pleases." 

"Who are you to give me orders?" Viserys spat "She is my sister."

"Not your slave." Mavis finished instead of him. 

"I'm the King! She has to do what I ask her to!" He was going into another one of his fits. 

"You and... Maybe a dozen others who say the same." Mavis remained calm, angering him even more. 

He stormed over to where she was seated and towered above her. 

"I'm the rightful king! I'm the dragon!" He argued, making Mavis sigh and stand up. 

She suddenly grabbed her cup with steaming hot water and splashed it on his face and neck. He screeched and tumbled back, holding onto his wounded cheek and neck. 

"If you were a dragon, you wouldn't have even minded the heat of that water." Mavis spat "Not scream like an idiot."

He stared at her with wide eyes, not Daring to move. "I... I was just..." For the first time he stuttered, not knowing how to excuse himself. 

"Spare me your words." Mavis sat back down "Leave and don't talk until you have something smart to say. Or at least nice."

She knew that he was going to go complain to Illyrio now. Like always. But what Illyrio thinks of the matter will remain a secret for her. 

Viserys stormed Into the magistrate's office, slamming the door behind himself "I have had enough of her!" He yelled. 

Illyrio remained calm. "What did she do this time?" He asked sarcastically with a sigh. 

"She spilled boiling hot water on my face!" Viserys gesticulated on his face to exaggerate his point

"Don't you think you should do something nice for her, your grace?" Illyrio asked, looking away from the parchments infront of him "if your way doesn't work, maybe she will stop mistreating you if you are kinder. Not everyone can be forced to kneel by force." He shrugged "A wise king would know that."

If he didn't mention 'wise king', Viserys would have thrown away his offer just like that. But the statement made him think his words over. 

"She has a strong character and doesn't bend to just harsh words." Illyrio continued "She would make an excellent queen at your side, I would say."

Viserys blushed a deeper shade of red than the mark on his cheek. "W-what..." He asked. 

"Like I said, she is strong, intelligent... A perfect fit for a ruler. And perhaps I sense some sort of feelings towards her from you?" 

Viserys stayed silent, staring into a loose paper on one of the small tables next to the door. 

"If you hated her as much as you say you do, why is it that you only talk about her? If she is so annoying why do you keep going to her?" Illyrio spoke until Viserys cut him off harshly

"Illyrio... Shut up." He stopped for a moment before murmuring "What do I need to do?"

Viserys never thought he would do something like this. Trying to win the heart and favor of a woman with a caged bluebird in his hands. Illyrio advised him to buy her a gift and implied that she was denied a bluebird from her father, which made her very sad. So Viserys went out of his way to go to the market, bargain with a dealer of exotic pets and after several arguments, he finally got the bluebird. 

He never thought he'd listen to Illyrio about relationship advice of all things! Now came the hardest part. Illyrio also advised him to apologize. Now, as he was standing at the doorway to Mavis' room, watching her paint with her back to him, the scenario played over and over in his mind. Mavis was good at so many things and painting was one of them... He thought. He felt anxious, he was shaking. 

"Don't pester me now." Mavis implied she knew of his presence. 

"Um..." He let out a fake cough "I just... Wanted to... Say I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Mavis." 

Mavis turned around, a puzzled look on her face. Her beautiful green eyes landed on the bluebird. 

"I heard you really wanted a bluebird so I decided to get one for you." He was avoiding her eyes, even though he was trying not to. Nobody else made him feel so vulnerable. 

"Can you repeat that?" She raised an eyebrow. 

Viserys sighed "I'm sorry for acting this way towards you, lady Mavis of house Denoir." He exaggerated "Please accept this token of appreciation as a symbol of my apology." 

Mavis snickered and walked over to him, taking the cage from his hands, briefly touching them in the process, a wide smirk on her lips. "Thank you, your grace. I accept your apology and hope we can be on better terms in the future."

Viserys blushed again. Her gaze was intense, but he held it. "I hope so too." He answered quietly. 

"Now please go away. I'm busy." She placed the cage on her nightstand, beside her bed and returned to her painting. 

Normally, Viserys would say something snarky when she would tell him something like this, but he was at a loss of words. He only found himself obliging to her wish and left her alone with her work. 


	4. Chapter 4

Ten days later, things have surely gotten better between Mavis and Viserys. The two have almost stopped arguing and could now be in the same room without being at each other's throats. The bluebird really did help them bond and it made Mavis think he was honest about his apology. 

And he was. Illyrio had told him this was one of the steps of gaining allies and being on the good side of powerful houses - bringing gifts and speaking honeyed words. But to Viserys it was more than that. Things may have been rough between them in the start, but now he had time to make them better and the bluebird was only the beginning. Her behavior towards him was what made him mad at her, but Illyrio had made it clear who's to blame for that. 

Illyrio on the other hand, saw the potential Mavis had. He knew the truth about her. He knew everything. He also knew that she would have great influence over the potential king and turn him into a better man, which meant more people would support his claim. Having her as an ally meant they would have allies in Westeros as well, after her father acknowledged her claim to his lands one way or another. So Illyrio schemed days on end what to do. He sent letters to lord Varys in King's landing, talking about a plan to potentially kill the only remaining heir to Thorn's hill. And while he waited for a reply, his next plan was put in motion. All he had to do was contact the Khal of the Dothraki - Drogo. If both plans worked and Viserys successfully reclaimed the throne, it meant he would have power and influence in Westeros and could pull the strings of the rulers however he liked. Because both of them owed him. 

But the couple were unaware of the plans Illyrio had for them. While he was scheming behind closed doors with various people, Mavis was in her room, painting the future king, for so he asked her to do. And she was, again, becoming quite irritated by him, because the Targaryen prince had a hard time standing still and every so often shifted in his place uncomfortably. 

"Viserys, can you be still for a moment without moving around like a fish on dry land?" She asked sarcastically looking behind the canvas at the dramatically laying man on her bed, the golden cage with the bluebird to his right. "I'm almost done."

"Did you really compare your king to a dying fish?" Viserys snickered, making the woman roll her eyes. 

He learned not to take her snarky comments too personally and even started finding them rather amusing. Mavis brushed over the canvas several more times, adding a shadow here and there and whatever finishing touches were needed. 

"Done." She exclaimed. 

Viserys stood up from her bed and walked over to examine the artwork. He nodded, smirking in approval. 

"Marvelous." He commented "I will hang it in the throne room as a symbol of the alliance between house Targaryen and house Denoir."

"I'm flattered." Mavis mumbled sarcastically, busying herself with her brushes. 

She dipped them in hot water to easily remove any dry paint and left them there to soak. Absentmindedly, she picked up the containers with paint, which were relatively close to the clay pot with steaming hot water in it. Accidentally, she knocked over the pot and before she could react, her entire hand was entirely covered in the water. She flinched, ready for the pain that was about to come after the burn but... there was none! She felt nothing. 

Mavis looked at her hand, puzzled and noticed it was completely fine. The memory of the day she splashed Viserys with hot water came into her mind. The only thing she thought was 'That's what I get, I suppose.' And to add to the bad luck, he had turned around to witness the scene just in time when it happened. 

"Tsk. You're so clumsy." He walked over to her to have a look at the wound, only to be utterly shocked to see she was fine. 

The two shared a confused look, before Mavis tried to explain. 

"Don't worry. It... It wasn't that hot. I'm fine." She ignored the stare he gave her and started looking for a cloth to clean up the mess that was all over her table and floor. 

She was relieved when one of the servants peeked through the door and cautiouly told them the magistrate wanted to speak with Viserys in private. She waited until he was gone, before hastily gathering the spilled water with a piece of cloth. She walked over to her bird and opened the cage door. Illyrio didn't like it when she let it out, but as long as it stayed in her room, he wouldn't object. The two had managed to bond quite a lot these past few days and Mavis even gave a name to her new companion - Lavender. Viserys laughed when she told him, because the bird wasn't even the color. It was completely blue with dark brown legs and the same color beak. 

Lavender swiftly flew from the cage and landed on her out stretched hand. The hand she spilled the water on. It stayed there for a few moments, singing in its beautiful voice, before flying away to explore her room further. Mavis was deep in thought. Her eyes landed on the unlit candle on her nightstand. A wild thought crossed her mind and she found herself lighting it. The small teardrop shaped flame danced with every breath she exhaled. 'Just to be sure I'm overreacting.' She thought to herself 'It can't not burn me...'

Slowly, her hand moved towards the flame, until it hovered just above it, close enough to hurt. But she felt nothing. Not even a tingle. Her heart raced in her chest painfully. She removed her hand from the flame and blew out the candle, wondering what this was all about, refusing to believe anything that was happening. 

She couldn't get her mind off it even at dinner time when she was extraordinary quiet and deep in thought. She didn't tell anyone about what happened, but Viserys knew something was wrong. She didn't even react to the small tease he gave her, concerning the fact that Lavender was still outside and Illyrio had noticed. But ultimately, he didn't push her any further, deciding to leave things the way they are. 

Mavis couldn't sleep either. All night, she thrashed and shifted on the bed, wide awake and in no mood for sleep. Thoughts plagued her mind and no matter what she did, she couldn't get them out of her head. She decided to try one last time to... comfort herself that this was all just her imagination. She was just overreacting and both the hot water and candle had logical explanations. 

She stood up from the bed and walked barefoot out of her room. The chilly night air sent shivers down her spine as it seeped through the thin silk nightgown she had on. She walked up to a nearby lit torch on the wall and stared at it, hesitantly. Suddenly, she reached up and grasped the flame with both hands, desperately thinking 'It hurts! It does!' but even her mindset didn't hide the truth. Her hands were engulfed by the flame, which danced on her skin harmlessly. 

"Mavis!" Someone called out to her worriedly and her head turned in that direction, lightning fast. 

Viserys stood in the middle of the hallway, eyes wide and shock radiating from every fiber of his body. He had witnessed the whole scene. 


	5. Lyna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sister of the three sons of Lord Baratheon. A little doe, if you may, but she was nothing like the peaceful, gentle creature. She was a true stag.

"Doe" - that was what everyone who knew Lyna Baratheon's name called her. But she hated this nickname. Whenever her name was brought up, the first thing that came to mind was "The doe". She didn't even understand how anyone could not know her name! She was proud to be of house Baratheon - the house of the King! The youngest child of Lord Baratheon and sister to Renly, Stannis and Robert. She had long wavy dark brown hair, hazel eyes and clear, milky skin. Just like any Baratheon. She was shorter than her brothers, but had the same fiery personality as Robert and Stannis. After Robert's rebellion was a success and he moved into King's Landing, he invited Lyna to live with him. The two always had a wholesome, wonderful relationship between brother and sister and there were no secrets between them. She knew how he felt about his wife Cersei, how he still suffered over the loss of Lyanna Stark, how his life took such a sharp turn... She knew he didn't want to be king. He was suffering. His grief caused him to become a drunk, to hate his wife and have several women in his bed every night instead of his own wife Cersei. He was suffering... But even though she loved her brother, there was still a thought in the back of her mind that she wanted to take his place on the Iron Throne. Whenever he was too drunk to remember, Lyna sometimes gained enough audacity to talk to him about it.

"Listen, dear brother, I know how much you don't want to be king. Haven't you thought about giving your position to someone else?" she would ask.

And through a hearty laugh, he would answer "To who? You? You're still a girl! What do you know about politics and power?" And after that, he would entice into stories about Lyanna and how strong he was back in his day.

Lyna had seen the Stark girl once or twice at tournaments. Everyone claimed she was a beauty, but Lyna didn't see anything interesting about her. All northern women were the same to her. After that, Robert would start talking about Rhaegar with a voice filled with venom and hatred. It was as if he wanted to pry his soul away from the gods and kill him again and again for everyone to see. Apparently he didn't deserve peace even after death... She didn't think it was right to talk ill of the deceased, but had no particularly good feelings about the Targaryen either. To her, he was a cunning scoundrel with a pretty face and honeyed words, favorite of his father. He was married with two children, but that didn't stop him from kidnapping someone else's bride. If Lyna had to choose a side, it would be that of his wife - Elia Martell. Overall she hated the Targaryen name, but above all, she hated Cersei Lannister. She was a power hungry, envious and haughty insane woman or "the personification of a woman who is married of convenience" as Lyna liked to call her. And obviously their feelings for each other were mutual, because Cersei never missed a chance to make a scene or comment about Lyna whenever they were together.

When they were younger, Robert had joked with Lyna that he intended to marry her to his friend Eddard's youngest brother. How much of a joke that was, she didn't know, but she very seriously told him that if he did marry her to someone she didn't know, she would slit her husband's throat from ear to ear while he slept and poison all the Starks to the last one, for which she went a little carried away and also received a backhand across the cheek, but in the end there was no wedding and she still didn't hear about her would-have-been husband again. The last thing she knew was that he didn't take this very well and after awhile joined the Night Watch. She didn't feel anything. She hated arranged marriages and didn't want to become like Cersei or Elia Martell. She wanted to choose her own husband.

Ever since she moved to King's Landing, she heard from her other brothers less and less. Renly never cared about her much in the first place and Stannis scared her sometimes if she had to be honest. But at least where she came from, she had someone to talk to. Here, she talked only with Robert and Tyrion Lannister from time to time. But the one she particularly loved talking to was her brother's personal bodyguard, whenever he felt like it. She was never one to remember names or faces, but his, she remembered immediately - Sandor Clegane. The two became rather close over time when it became clear she wasn't scared of him nor harvested ill intentions towards him. And he, on the other hand, warmed up to her more, but sadly, they didn't have many chances to be around each other, apart from several stolen moments here and there.

To her disappointment, neither of her companions were currently present today or will be any time soon. The king and his family, along with probably half of the castle have gathered their things and went to Winterfell for several weeks. Lyna had asked if she could go with them, but Robert had answered that it would be better if she stayed and watched over the castle in his place, but she knew it was because the Starks are probably still mad at her because of the wedding, but if they had the nerves to stand those disgusting Lannisters, she wouldn't have been a problem. She wasn't even going to talk to them! In the end, she stayed in the capital to "watch over it instead of the king", which means that she was basically going to die of boredom. Ever since Jon Arryn had died, Robert put it as his task to make Ned Stark his new hand of the king and she didn't mind it one bit, if it wasn't for the fact that an entourage of the entire Citadel had went along with the royal family to bring back one person. 

She decided not to think about it anymore. At least now she could drink as much wine as she wanted without her brother scolding her about it. A servant arrived, asking if she needed more wine. It had been a few days since they left and Lyna wondered if they had arrived in Winterfell yet.

A small glance to the servant's side was enough to have Lyna's attention caught by the glint of a sharp weapon. A dagger! By the time he was reaching for it, Lyna jumped and pushed him over with all her strength. He fell over and she climbed on top of him, pinning him to the stone floor and snatched the dagger out of his hand, pointing it at his throat. 

"Who sent you?" she hissed threateningly.

"Go to hell!" he yelled.

Being a princess, she had to be ready for anything and suspicious of everyone. She learned to double check every corner and eye every servant with whom she was alone with for any weapons. She had spent some time with Sandor who had taught her some self-defense and the heavy, expensive dress she wore didn't restrain her or give her any trouble one bit. She was used to it.

"You know, if you poisoned the wine, maybe you would have gotten away with it." Lyna smirked menacingly and let out a low, dark laugh "Too bad you don't get a second try."

"Lady Lyna!" One of her personal bodyguards yelled, storming in the room with four other of her guards and immediately surrounded them, pointing their weapons at the mercenary "Are you alright? Did he do anything to you, my lady?"

"I'm fine." she answered, standing up and throwing the dagger aside "Throw him in the dungeon and interrogate him. If he doesn't talk, tell me and I will take over the case myself."


End file.
